Itinerary
Link at the beginning with the GR 7 E4 Tarifa - Athens.
Link at the beginning with the SL-A 51 Las Arquillas
Partial coincidence in the mountains with the GR 245 Camino Mozarabic and with the SL-A 22 La Escaleruela
Summary
Antequera is strategically well-placed in the province for a number of reasons. The Sierra aides its function as a frontier fortress, the fertile plains stretch to the horizon at around 500 metres above sea level and the Nacimiento de la Villa supplies it with clean drinking water. From here, the Stage sets off to the south, first crossing the clay hills with rainfed crops and then climbs one of the most rugged landscapes of the entire Great Path, La Escaleruela, heading towards the mountain pass of the same name.
This section is aptly named after the winding cobbled path, with occasional steps to overcome the steep incline and sometimes has more than one branch. Despite these first impressions, the landscape above is much less rugged than expected. Its wide valleys and cultivated hillsides lie between the very contrasting relief of the Chimenea mountains to the west and El Torcal ridge to the east.
Practically downhill from here on, the route’s course changes from mostly south to west as the path skirts the hills of El Águila and Gordo. These act as a turning point halfway along the route, and from where the landscape opens out. At the same time, human activity becomes more apparent with a string of country houses and some larger settlements. The route follows a fairly straight line, with a wide arc to avoid the numerous tributaries in the upper course of the Arroyo del Espino. The path also crosses a municipal boundary here, for the second time.
The Great Path passes close to three hamlets that depend on Antequera, Los Nogales, La Higuera and La Joya. It is this latter settlement that is the largest and most compact in terms of urban development. This spread of villages in the area is due to the meeting of two very important roads, one from Malaga to Bobadilla (running north to south) and another from Antequera, which the Stage follows almost entirely. The crossroads and its nearby springs are the setting of La Joya.
The last part of the route goes through fields of cereals and Olive trees, over a long hill that forms the watershed. It soon comes to the eastern side of Valle de Abdalajís, ending up near the iron bridge over the Las Piedras stream.
The best
Antequera has one of the largest concentrations of churches in all of Spain (about 30 temples in the urban center) of different architectural styles (gothic and baroque to date). Alongside them, it is worth highlighting its archaeological heritage, among which stand out the Dolmens of Menga, Viera and Romeral, declared World Heritage. Its historic center is also worth a visit with a good number of manor houses and mansions that are integrated into an architectural complex declared a Historic-Artistic Site. Highlights include the Alcazaba, the Palace of Nájera (City Museum), the Royal Collegiate Church of Santa María La Mayor.
In the Abdalajís Valley, several temples stand out and the Gangarro viewpoint located in the upper part of the municipality, coinciding with the hermitage of the Santísimo Cristo de la Sierra. From the geological and geographical point of view, the Abdalajís Valley mountain range and the Huma, Torcalillo, Chapel and Castle mountains are remarkable. The Abdalajís Valley is one of the most recognized free flight destinations at the regional and national level.